Soundtrack to the apocalypse

I’ve always relied on the Stones for apocalyptic soundtracks. There’s no one album that does the trick, although a mix that relies heavily on four albums released between 1968 and 1972 — Beggar’s Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street — usually works out pretty well. As far as actual songs go, nothing beats “Gimme Shelter.” That part where Merry Clayton‘s voice cracks on that second “murder”? Man. I certainly hope the rumor that the intensity of the song induced a miscarriage is false. (It seems likely to be a product of the fog of Satanism that clung to the Stones during that time.) But I’d believe it if it were true.

Anyway, sometime around the seventh inning of yesterday’s game, I gave up and went for a run. And was probably listening to Merry scream and shout at about the exact time when Tim McCarver said he’d read my book and thought it was marvelous. Which is sad: that would have been pretty cool to hear. (I was still watching in the fourth, when a discussion of pitch counts and a shot of Jon Bon Jovi resulted in this: “Wonder what singers think of pitch counts. What are they on when they go on stage? A word count? Or a song count, perhaps?”)

Anyway. Merry, darling, I do love your voice. And I hope I’m listening to you shriek at any point tonight.